Hampshire were given an unlikely reprieve from relegation to County Championship Division Two after Durham fell apart at Yorkshire.
The south coast county were resigned to the drop after losing to Surrey by 20 runs, which left Durham only requiring a draw at Headingley.
But less than four hours later they were sensationally slumped to be bowled out for 85 to allow Hampshire to stay in Division One for the 2026 season.
Ironically, Hampshire’s last brush with relegation – in 2016 – saw them finish in the relegation places but they were reinstated after Durham were sent down over financial issues.
Surrey only needed one wicket on the final day, which Rahul Chahar claimed with the 42nd delivery of the day when he had James Fuller caught behind.
In doing so, the India spinner claimed a career best 8-51 – Surrey’s third best bowling figures of the 21st century – and 10 wickets in the match.
Requiring 33 runs to win on the final day, or 32 runs for a tie would have been enough to see Hampshire remain in Division One on their own steam.
Fuller and Brad Wheal were their final pair – the former had with Chahar carefully for 29, while Wheal had stoically blocked 22 balls before bad light brought an unsatisfactory end to the third day.
Chahar bowled the first over of the day and Fuller swept a four to ease the nerves, before Wheal nicked his first delivery to first slip – but it narrowly fell short.
The pair looked relatively at ease, albeit turning down a bounty of singles, until Fuller attempted to cut Chahar and edged behind to Ben Foakes.
Chahar’s figures were the third best for Surrey since the turn of the Millennium after Kemar Roach’s 8-40 and Martin Bicknell’s 9-45.
The defeat looked like it would compound Hampshire’s horror September.
The county had been deduced eight points in the Championship for breaching the ECB’s pitch regulations, before losing in two men’s white-ball finals and a women’s final.
They also saw popular head coach Adi Birrell announce he would leave the club after seven years at the helm – the South African was gifted a bull for his farm back in his homeland by the players on the final morning of the Surrey match.
Instead of Hampshire, though, Durham will now join Worcestershire in playing in Division Two next season.
